Parliament to hold joint session on appropriations bill

AMMAN — The Senate on Wednesday upheld for the second time its position on the draft appropriations law, thus constitutionally requiring the legislation to be decided in a joint session with the Lower House.

During Wednesday’s session, the Upper House insisted on its amendments to the draft appropriation law, which were rejected by MPs twice, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Deputies rejected the senators’ amendments during sessions held in September and December 2014.

According to Article 92 of the Constitution, the two Houses of Parliament will have to meet in a joint session to resolve their dispute.

The said article reads: “Should either House twice reject any draft law and the other accept it, whether or not amended, both the Senate and the Chamber shall hold a joint meeting under the chairmanship of the president of the Senate to discuss the matters in dispute.”

The two Houses’ disagreement was primarily over Article 4 of the law concerning cases in which the government returns an expropriated piece of property to the owner. 

The article stipulates that the owner return to the government the financial compensation it had paid in return for the appropriation.

Agreeing with the government’s version of the law, senators insist that property owners are required to pay the value of compensation plus the annual interest, while MPs insisted on deleting the interest from the value of compensation.

Also during Wednesday’s session, the Senate endorsed draft amendments to the Iftaa Law and the Press and Publications Law as well as a bill on the ratification of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism as referred from the Lower House, Petra reported.